Part 9 - The StillWater Club

From a 2005 10-part series in the Main Post, (a German Newspaper), detailing the second raid by the US 8th Air
Force on Schweinfurt in October 1943. It uses the downing of the B-17 “Iron Maiden” and the capture of it’s crew
as the central theme. The Iron Maiden was piloted by Roland Martin, now of Carmel Valley, CA.
The American B-17 bomber, named “Iron Maiden” , disabled during the second air attack on
Schweinfurt on 14 October 1943 made an emergency landing near the Waldesruh (photo). All ten
crew members survive and escape. Six had already parachuted out. Seven of the men were arrested
on the same or the next day. The pilot and his flight engineer elude capture for 14 days. The last
crewmember, Elihu Peacock remains in hiding and ahead of his pursuers for four weeks before
joining his fellow crewmembers into the German POW network. This picture was provided by
Egon Lutz (Neuhausen).
REPRODUCTION By NORBERT VOLLMANN
ALL ARE CAPTURED
The story of the 1943 emergency landing at Gerolzhofen "Iron Maiden (last part)
By NORBERT VOLLMANN of our Editorial Board
Gerolzhofen After the American air raid on
Schweinfurt on 14 Set in October 1943, the disabled
plane crash-lands near Waldruh. The pilot and flight
engineer are unable to set the downed bomber on fire
and flee into the woods.
All ten crewmembers of the “Iron Maiden”, The six
who have previously jumped with parachutes, and the
four that remained on board the heavily damaged Flying
Fortress are now on the run near Neuen See.
One of the first crewmembers captured is side gunner
John Cihonski. The then 13-year-old Alfred Berthel with
his 48-year-old father Kaspar were just going to plow the
so-called community tip above the present Wiebel
Berger vineyards. Suddenly they see an American
bomber descending. They see, nearby, a parachute
entangled in a tree and the bleeding face of a wounded
John Cihonski. A piece of shrapnel had struck him in
the right temple between his eye and ear.
Alfred and Kaspar Berthel run up to help him. With a
knife they cut a piece from the parachute and to apply
to his head wound. Meanwhile, a hunter Richard Schanz
from Gerolzhöfer, with his hunting rifle at the ready
asks the American, whether he had a gun, which he
denied. Subsequently, the prisoner was brought to the
village and a short time later, picked up by the police.
Edwin Mattern is a little further toward Stollberg.
Despite severe injuries in his right eye and leg, he
succeeds in parachuting to a safe landing. Half an hour
later farmers discover him in the forest. Local Militia
men take him to the castle near Oberschwaruch, where
there is a small police station and prison space. Maria
Niedermeyer, who lives nearby, is having her 24th
birthday, as the U.S. soldier in the great room of the
castle lies on a stretcher. One of the Catholic
Kindergarten attendants there is also a Nurse. She first
attends to the blond Mattern, who speaks a little
German, and then Cihonski whose wounds were
bandaged before being brought in.
Tail gunner Adam Janik probably landed in
Mutzenroth with his parachute entangled in a tree.
After he was hauled down, will he, like many other
bailed crew members at this time the target of which is
applied by the air raids Population. Janik: "You have
insulted me by implying I’m an “air-gangster” and
threatened me with pitchforks." Eventually, a policeman
on a motorcycle takes Janik to the Castle near
OberSchwaruch. Upon his arrival, Edwin Mattern is
brought into the room.
Daniel Sirianni, the second side gunner, breaks his
ankle when landing in a field. He takes off his parachute
and drags himself as fast as possible into the nearby
forest. After three hours, about 18 clock, he gets very
thirsty, and leaves his hiding place, to go to a small
stream. Here two farmers, in their 40’s, discover him.
They take the injured Sirianni to a farmhouse. Sirianni
thinks he is already in custody as the door opens and the
police arrest him.
Also co-pilot Linden Price and bombardier Irvin
Rittenberg do not get far after landing on board the
Iron Maiden. They would be among the captured
Americans placed in the living room of Mayor Joseph
Barth of Mutzenroth prior to being taken to
Wiebelsberg.
In Gerolzhofen, the Schlagbauer family is having
coffee in Steingrabestrasse, when suddenly a bomber
flies over Gerolzhofen. The then seven year old Hans
Schlagbauer later finds several of the crew members
sitting on straw bales in a barn. Hans Leopold, who also
lives on Steingragestrasse, could see the US Airmen
being questioned through the window of the homes
workroom (today the Robert Schoue Senior Care
Facility). He died in 1969 at the age of 59, While his
exact function is unknown, the Café owner and pastry
chef from Gerolzhofen was responsible for recording
and reporting on Allied aircraft crashes. This included
protecting the crew members who were apprehended
after crashing, at first from attacks and to supervise and
ensure proper burials.
Tail Gunner Adam Janik as to the events
following his arrest
Adolf Hauck lives with his parents in the house
directly next to the district court/prison located in the
courtyard of District Office . He is an eyewitness as the
crew members of the lron Maiden, turn into an alley led
by their guards through the left side of a large wooden
door. The right-hand side of the door leads into the
prison located in the courtyard of the district office.
Six crew members, John Cihonski, Edwin Mattern,
Daniel Sirianni, Linden Price, lrving Rittenberg, and
Adam Janik are arrested a few hours after the emergency
landing.
Navigator Daniel Maher hangs in his parachute from
a tree for several hours before he can free himself and
under the cover of darkness, is able to hide. The next
morning, he heads toward Switzerland along a path
through the forest and runs into an armed local Militia
Man. Maher is picked up by a truck for transport to the
nearest city. The other prisoners are already on the
truck.
On the day after the arrests, most of the others have
been sent by bus to a local prison in Ebrach. During the
14th of October 1943, the prison has already admitted a
large number of captured Americans. They are then
collected and sent to the Interrogation Center in West
Oberusel.
There the downed Allied aircrews are all locked in
individual cells and then interrogated at the Dulag air
(air force transit camp) in Wetzlar, in various prisoner of
war camps, and in the Stalag (main camp). Eventually
they are distributed throughout the entire Reich. lrving
Ritteraberg is pulled out of the interrogations. He was
probably held longer because he is a Jew.
Adam Janik is also brought by bus the next morning
to Schweinfurt. On the way through town to the airport,
a large bomb crater in the middle of the road interrupts
the trip. Janik and the others are made to get out and
see with their own eyes how the firefighters are still
desperately fighting the raging fires in the houses. Angry
residents attack the U.S. airman, swearing at them and
trying to beat them before the people are driven back by
German soldiers armed with machine guns.
Meanwhile, pilot Roland Martin and his flight
engineer Nicholas Macri, with the help of a compass,
head in the direction of Switzerland for the next 14 days.
After two weeks walking at night, exhausted and their
feet swollen they are captured by German soldiers when
crossing a bridge.
Elihu Peacock is the last “bunny” to be snared.
Apparently it was possible for him to hide with help
from the German populace. In this, Maria Bachmann
has likely played a helping role. Before the war, she,
together with her father Hans and mother Babette,
operated a convalescent home later purchased by the
Kugelfischer company. But after four weeks, Peacocks
flight from captivity is over.
With the final capture of the lower ball-turret gunner,
all ten lron Maiden crew-members are placed in German
POW camps. After the liberation by the Allied and
Russian forces in 1945, they all gradually return to their
home country.
Contact: MAIN POST, Norbert Vollmann, Q (0
93 82) 50 79
Six now deceased, four still alive.
The fate of the men of the "Iron Maiden"
from our Editorial Board member NORBERT
VOLLMANN
GEROLZHOFEN Four of the ten members of "lron
Maiden crew that crash-landed on 14 October 1943 at
Gerolzhofen, are still alive. John Cihonski died in June
2005. The fate of the ten men at a glance:
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•
•
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Pilot Roland Martin, born on 29 October 1923
in Berkeley California, lives nearby on the
West coast.
CoPilot Linden Price, born 17 April 1921 in
South Pasadena California, died on 6 May 1993
in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Navlgator Daniel Maher, born on 22
September 1919, lives in Yonkers, New York.
Bombardier lrving Rittenberg, Born on 6
December 1917, died on 6th March 1988 in
Brookline, Massachusetts).
Radioman Edwin Mattern, born on 12
September 1921, died on 3rd May 2001 in his
hometown of Olean, New York. He had
received an artificial eye and a wooden
prosthesis for his right leg which was lost from
gangrene. These were made for him in the
hospital by a Scottish prisoner of war. The
Germans and the Red Cross provided the
materials. Edwin Mattern was the first of the
crew to return to America by boat.
Flight engineer Nichoias Macri, top turret
gunner, was born on 28 May 1921 in Brooklyn,
New York. He died on 24 August 1992 and lies
in the National Cemetery in Calverton.
Red Cross Officials regularly visit the German POW
camp to make sure that the Geneva Conventions are
observed. The above picture was taken here in the Stalag
Luft III prison camp. Also pictured (from left) is the
Navigator of the "lron Maiden", Daniel Maher, and Copilot Linden Price (left front).
REPRO NORBERT VOLLMANN
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During their captivity, the men of the "lron Maiden"
were placed in the following Stalags:
Stalag Luft 1 in Barth on the Baltic Sea: Roland Martin
Stalag Luft 3 at Sagan in Silesia: lrving Rittenberg,
Linden Price, and Daniel Maher
Stalag 17b in Krems in Lower Austria: Daniel Sirianni,
Elihu Peacock, Adam Janik. Nicholas Macri, John
Cihonski.
Edwin Mattern Edwin was in several internment camps.
End
It is the 14th of October 1943, and the second air attack
on Schweinfurt in World War II. Known as "Black
Thursday" in the American history books, due to the
enormous loss of people and planes. PHOTO
COLLECTION OF NORBERT BAUER SCHUCH
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Elihu Peacock, ball-turret gunner, was born on
7 November 1921 in Mystic, Georgia. We have
lost track of him after returning to America
following the war.
Daniel Sirianni, left side gunner, was born on
16 January 1922 in Olean, New York. He now
lives at a golf and ski resort in upstate New
York. Sirianni, like Mattern are both from
Olean and were class mates in 1939.
John Cihonski, the right side gunner, was born
on 7 March 1919 in Butler, Pennsylvania. He
died on 17 June 2005 and is buried at Arlington
National Cemetery.
Adam Janik, the tail gunner, (and Benjamin)
was born on 27 October 1922. He lives in his
hometown of Chicago, Illinois.